"Getting as far as possible with one fully charged battery is a challenge"

For mobility broker Rob Schaap, electric vehicles offer nothing but advantages: you drive quietly, cleanly, and relatively cheaply. Rob sees the limited range of the battery as a challenge. Electric vehicles improve quality of life for others, and good car parks usually have charging facilities. The only problem is when the parking spaces with charging points are taken by normal petrol or diesel cars or by hybrid cars with fully charged batteries. Rob believes that this issue could be tackled with help from the Civil Enforcement Team or by using a different payment structure.

Mainly benefits

Many people see the limited range of the battery as a problem, but Rob sees it as a challenge. ‘I see charging smartly and getting as far as possible on a full battery as a challenge rather than as an obstacle. I drive quite a few kilometres for my work, and every year I spend about 480 euros on charging costs. That's nothing compared with what you would spend on diesel or petrol per year. As an extra bonus, the charging points are often at good parking spaces close to the exit. It's a pity that this advantage is sometimes cancelled out because normal petrol or diesel cars are parked in these spaces. How would they react if I leave my electric car parked next a pump at a petrol station for half a day?’

Plans for the future

Electric cars are quite expensive to buy but are definitely worth it, thinks Rob. ‘That's certainly the case when the car is used by several people. I would like to make my Hyundai IONIQ available as a shared car, but I'm worried about theft or damage. That's why we haven't taken that step yet, but we do believe that electric cars are the way forward. I see that many more shared cars are offered by employers, commercial rental companies, and private individuals. However, as the number of electric cars on the road increases, the charging points also have to be shared. Drivers should be discouraged from leaving their vehicle at a charging point despite it having a full battery. That's why I prefer the idea of charging per minute at the charging points instead of for the amount of electricity used.’

Thumbs up

The driving itself is maybe the most convincing reason to buy an electric vehicle. ‘It's amazing to drive silently and not pollute the air for the pedestrians and cyclists around me. People who see that I drive an electric car often give me the thumbs up. A boy in Aachen once even told me that he thinks it's awesome that I drive an electric car! That made me feel really good. I receive my new Hyundai KONA Electric in September – I'm so excited!’

If you are considering using an electric car for your business or for private use, then the Maastricht Bereikbaar Programme Office will be happy to give you advice. Take a look at our pages about electric driving.